General News
18 April, 2025
Country cops' crisis
Ensuring we live in a safe community is the paramount focus of local police, but with only one officer currently active at Pittsworth Police Station, are we at risk?
There's always been a debate as to whether or not there is enough of a police presence in Pittsworth and surrounding areas, an issue which is often communicated by frustrated citizens through social media platforms.
However, the wider staff retention crisis facing the Queensland Police Service (QPS) is now more prevalent then ever and there's no question of the effect it is having on regional and rural towns.
Pittsworth Police Station, which is allocated two officers, has been operating at half-strength for months, without a glimpse of the replacement vacancy being filled any time soon.
Millmerran Station has had a temporary officer step in as it awaited the arrival of new staff, set to start on the job this week.
Stations in Cambooya, Cecil Plains, Jondaryan and Leyburn have struggled to retain officers, or replace them during circumstances of extended leave.
The officer stationed at Cecil Plains has been on leave since mid-February.
It was only after The Sentinel began its enquiries into the status of the vacancy, that an expression of interest was distributed through QPS channels.
Recently, a Pittsworth citizen took to social media to voice her concern about the police presence in town and stated more officers would make all the difference to community safety.
Sergeant Tim Hoffmann, Officer in Charge at Pittsworth Police Station
said he understood the frustration of the community crying out for more police in our area.
“I see it on social media platforms and hear it when speaking with people.
“As country police we are part of the community and work tirelessly to meet demand with the resources we have,” he said.
“Community safety is always our highest priority and I can assure the community that we live in a safe region with relatively low rates of property crime and offences against the person.”
A QPS spokesperson said the police force continues to adopt an agile and borderless policing approach, in which officers are no longer restricted to a static location.
"This means that regardless of where a frontline officer is based, they will spend the majority of their shift out in the community, responding to calls for service and patrolling," the spokesperson said.
In the Pittsworth area across the last four months there have been 37 offences, according to the QPS Online Crime Map (as of Tuesday).
Nine of those offences were thefts, another nine were offences of unlawful entry and property damage, and six were of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Five traffic related offences were recorded and four assaults.
What is not publicly documented is the over-whelming portion of work undertaken by local police that is related to domestic and family violence.
"Domestic Violence remains to be a large part of our work as we strive to protect victim survivors," Sgt. Hoffmann said.
“The community can be confident that if they require a police officer at any time during the day or night that we will be there."
The public's concern is in no way a reflection of the police on staff, but rather spotlights the staffing and resourcing challenges the QPS is currently facing.
Local Member for Condamine Pat Weir said this is a widespread issue with short-staffing at stations across the entire state.
"The simple answer is - we need more cops," Mr Weir said.
"Dan Purdie [Minister for Police] talked in parliament recently about the recruitment numbers coming through.
"We've got an ageing police force and others are just burnt out.
"The attrition rate is very high."
Mr Weir said domestic and family violence was consuming police resources at substantial rates, and it was crucial for police in regional areas to feel supported in their roles as they serve the community.
"We need to appreciate what they're doing," he said.
A QPS spokesperson said the Darling Downs District works collectively to deliver 24-hour policing services to communities.
“To ensure community safety is maintained Darling Downs District has a holistic response framework ensuring urgent calls for service will always be treated as a priority,” the spokesperson said.
“The district also manages demand in several ways and is supported by cross regional mobilisation of resources and on-road supervisors, re-deploying resources where necessary.”
Last month, the QPS celebrated its largest graduation in 33 years with 155 new officers.
Six were allocated to the Darling Downs region - one in Murgon, one in Nanango and four in Toowoomba.
According to the QPS, Cambooya, Leyburn, Cecil Plains and Jondaryan stations remain operational.
How the QPS defines ‘operational’ and whether those stations are regularly attended by police, or simply ready for use if and when required, is unclear.
“The dedicated officers attached to Cambooya, Leyburn, Cecil Plains, Jondaryan, Pittsworth and Millmerran Stations will continue to work tirelessly to provide policing services to keep the community safe,” the QPS spokesperson said.
Local police are often the ones who take the brunt of the community’s frustration, however it is important to appreciate the work they do in order to keep our community safe, and to support them, where we can, in their efforts.
If you’re interested in a career in the police force visit the QPS website at www.policerecruit.qld.gov.au
